Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Justin Hires is a very
talented actor, comedian, storyteller, dancer, video jockey and
writer who will next be seen playing Detective Carter in the CBS-TV
action-comedy series "Rush Hour," based on the buddy films
co-starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. The versatile entertainer
has been an ensemble cast member on the sketch comedy series "Key
& Peele," and he's also appeared in the box-office hit 21
Jump Street alongside Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum,

Justin was born in St.
Petersburg, Florida where he was raised by a couple of very
supportive parents. Even as a young child, he exhibited a knack for
making others laugh.

While attending Clark
Atlanta University, Justin was cast in two feature films: Stomp the
Yard and The Gospel. He was subsequently hired by MTV as a VJ on
their college network, mtvU.

Justin moved to
Hollywood after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Media-
Radio, TV, and Film. In L.A., he started doing stand-up in comedy
clubs, and began landing a variety of television and film roles,
while accumulating over 13 million views of his personal sketches
online.

Here, the rising young star talks about "Rush
Hour" which is set to premiere on CBS on March 31st at 10 pm
ET/PT. (Check local listings)

Kam
Williams: Hi
Justin, thanks for the interview.

Justin
Hires:
Thanks
for having me, Kam.

KW:
I told
my readers I'd be interviewing you, so I'll be mixing their questions
in with mine.

JH:
Sounds exciting…

KW:
Congratulations on landing the lead in Rush Hour. Were you a fan of
the film franchise?

JH:
Absolutely!
I grew up watching and studying those films. I’ve always been a
huge fan of martial arts and comedy, so Rush Hour was the perfect
combination for me.

KW:
The
trailer looks a lot like the first movie. How will the show be
similar and how will it be different?

JH:
The
pilot episode is a reboot of the original Rush Hour. So, there are
some similarities there. However, all the episodes after that, 13
episodes in total, tell completely new and exciting stories that are
not connected with the Rush Hour films, at all.

KW:
I think
the key to the success of the film franchise was the chemistry
between Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. How did you and John Foo go
about trying to regenerate that magic?

JH:
I
completely agree. Fortunately, I think Jon Foo and my chemistry is
incredible! Foo is a genuine introvert and I’m a genuine extrovert.
We’re the perfect ying and yang, on and off camera.

KW:
Editor/Legist
Patricia Turnier asks: How did you prepare to play Detective James
Carter? Did you get any advice from Chris Tucker?

JH:
I’ve
been doing stand-up for a strong 8 years and I’ve been the class
clown my entire life, all of which prepared me for a role of this
magnitude. Also, I watched all those buddy cop movies again: 48
Hours, Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, etcetera. I didn’t get any advice
from Tucker, but I assume his advice would’ve been, “Have fun and
be funny!”

KW:
Patricia
also says: You are an actor, writer and comedian. Which of those
endeavors is your favorite?

JH:
I
honestly love all three equally. Each of those have played a part in
getting me to where I’m at in my career right now.

KW:
Patricia
has another follow-up: Who is your favorite comedian, and do you have
a topic you won't touch in a stand-up routine?

JH:
Richard
Pryor is the Godfather of Comedy. Eddie Murphy is the King. Martin
Lawrence is my favorite. Chris Rock is the best. Dave Chappelle is a
genius. Bernie Mac is the funniest. I’m a comedy nerd. And… rape
is typically never funny.

KW:
Sangeetha
Subramanian says: Justin, is comedy like writing where an idea just
pops in your mind at any given time? If so, what was the strangest
occasion on which a joke came to you? :

JH:
That’s
a pretty accurate insight, Sangeetha. A funny idea might pop up in
your head or you may see something that you think is funny--then you
go to a comedy club, say that thought out loud, and see if everyone
else finds it funny as well. Some of my funniest thoughts come to me
while I’m taking a shower.

KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone
would?

JH:
Do I
prefer Coke or Pepsi? My answer depends on which one wants to give me
an endorsement deal one day. [LOL]

KW:
AALBC.com
founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?

JH:
Who
knows? I’ve just been reading 60-page Rush Hour scripts every week
for the last 6 months.

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The Sly Fox Film Reviews

KamWilliams.com

The Sly Fox Film Reviews publishes the content of film critic Kam Williams. Voted Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2008, Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and Rotten Tomatoes.

In addition to a BA in Black Studies from Cornell, he has an MA in English from Brown, an MBA from The Wharton School, and a JD from Boston University. Kam lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and son.